At present, each of the generally available liquid crystal display devices is constructed by interposing liquid crystal between an array substrate and a counter substrate. The portions of the peripheral edges of the array substrate and the counter substrate, except for a liquid crystal sealing port, are fixed to each other by adhesive agent, and the liquid crystal sealing port is sealed by sealing agent. Furthermore, plastic beads or the like that are uniform in particle diameter are dispersed between the array substrate and the counter substrate as a spacer for keeping constant the distance between the array substrate and the counter substrate.
Furthermore, out of these liquid crystal display devices, a liquid crystal display device that can perform color display is constructed such that a color filter layer constituted by colored layers of R (Red), G (Green) and B (Blue) is formed on any one of the array substrate and the counter substrate of the liquid crystal display device. As a display type of the liquid crystal display device, TN (Twisted Nematic) type, ST (Super Twisted Nematic) type, GH (Guest Host) type, ECB (Electrically Controlled Birefringence) type, ferroelectric liquid crystal or the like is used. Furthermore, as the sealing agent, acrylic or epoxy type adhesive agent or the like of thermosetting type which is thermally-curable with heat or ultraviolet curable type which is curable with irradiation of ultraviolet rays is used.
Also, the liquid display device that can perform color display is formed as follows. That is, scanning lines and signal lines are provided to be arranged in a grid form on an insulating substrate, and thin film transistors (TFT) each having a semiconductor layer of amorphous silicon (a-Si) are provided in conformity with the cross points of the scanning lines and the signal lines, and pixel electrodes are electrically connected to these thin film transistors to thereby form an array substrate as an active matrix substrate. A counter substrate having a counter electrode is disposed so as to face the array substrate, and a color filter layer is provided below the counter electrode. Also, a frame portion having light shielding performance is provided at the peripheral edge of the color filter. Furthermore, an electrode transfer member as a transfer for applying a voltage from the array substrate to the counter substrate is disposed at the peripheral portion of the display frame between the array substrate and the counter substrate. Silver paste achieved by making a paste of electrically conductive silver particles with a binder or the like is used as the electrode transfer material. Also, each of the array substrate and the counter substrate is sandwiched by polarizing plates, and it is constructed as a light shutter to display a color image.
In this type of liquid crystal display device, for example, as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-122072, it is common that the color filter layer and the frame portion are formed on one principal surface of any one of the array substrate and the counter substrate by photolithography. The photolithography needs four processing steps such as coating, light exposure, development and baking, and thus, the manufacturing cost cannot be easily reduced. Therefore, there is known a method of forming a color filter layer by printing based on ink jetting as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-170712 or Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-55223.
As the ink jetting system are known a method of providing a new reception layer on one principal surface of any one of the array substrate and the counter substrate and staining from the surface of the reception layer as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-148713 or a method of providing a discrete bank-like pattern on one principal surface of any one of the array substrate and the counter substrate so as to project from the principal surface and coating a colored layer between the bank-like pattern as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-353594.
However, when the color filter layer and the frame portion are formed by the printing based on the ink jetting described above, the bank-like pattern is needed, and thus, the aperture ratio of the liquid crystal display device may be reduced. Also, when the color filter layer and the frame portion are formed by using photolithography, four steps are needed as the manufacturing process of forming the color filter layer and the frame portion, and thus, there is a problem that the manufacturing is not easy.
The present invention has been implemented in view of the foregoing point, and has an object to provide a liquid crystal display device that can be easily manufactured and in which the aperture ratio is hardly reduced, and a method of producing the liquid crystal display device.